Baseboard heaters



P 1960 E. N. CALHOUN ETAL 2,954,456

BASEBOARD HEATERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1957 INVENTORS Ernest M. Calhoun Duane L. Ri ley Sept. 27, 1960 E. N. CALHOUN ETAL 2,954,456

BASEBOARD HEATERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 25, 1957 n 1 3 M w Y 6 m 7 mm M W f 4 .2. 7 6 T". R a x 0 7 g 6 t b 6 6 V a m .V. w m a .5.. a H 5 D0 Sept. 27, 1960 E. N. CALHOUN ETAL 2,954,456

BASEBOARD HEATERS Filed Nov. 25. 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Ernest N. Calhoun u qflb Y Duane L. Ripley A orney Sept. 27, 1960 E. N. CALHOUN EIAL 2,954,456

BASEBOARD HEATERS Filed NOV. 25, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS Ernest N. Calhoun Dunne L. Ripley Sept. 27, 1960 E. N. CALHOUN ETAL 2,954,456

BASEBOARD HEATERS Filed Nov. 25, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS Ernesi N. Calho n Duane L- Ri ley A Home)! P 1960 E. N. CALHOUN ETAL 2,954,456

BASEBOARD HEATERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed NOV. 25, 1957 ilgg; 3 102 INVENTORY Ernesf N. Calhoun Duane I... Ripley United States Patent i 2,954,456 BASEBOARD HEATERS Ernest N. Calhoun and Duane L. Ripley, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Edwin L. Wiegaud Company Filed Nov. 25, 1957, Set. No. 698,512

13 Claims. (Cl. 219- 34) Our invention relates to electric baseboard heaters, particularly to means for and methods of forming baseboard heaters of the sectional type, and the principal object of'our invention is to provide new and improved heaters of such character.

With the advent of better and greater electric power distribution and a more favorable costcomparison between electric heating and other types of heating, electric baseboard heating has gained prominence in the heating of domestic and commercial enclosures. Electric heating, as is well known, is clean, ea's'ily regulated and, in many instances more economically installed.

One of the problems encountered in installation of electric baseboard heating is the necessity of installing theentire heater" at substantially the same time; Correction of this problem is alleviated somewhat by installing the heaters in lengths but again each length has customarily been a complete unit.

If the' entire assembly was installed prior to room decoration, such as painting decoration, great care had to be exercised to prevent paint from being applied to the usually attractive finishof the heater. If the heater was installed after room decoration, great care had to be exercised to prevent damage to such decoration.

' Of perhaps greater importance is the fact that heretofore the heater had to be installed and electrically wired at substantially the same time; Practically every municipality has some sort of building code which specifies that inspection of the workmanship is required. This worked a hardship insofar as installation of electric baseboard heaters is concerned since the installer could not complete his job until it was inspected and approved. Therefore, the installer only partially completed the installation until the electrical work was completed and inspected, or he ran the risk of having to undo the entire installation if the inspector required a detailed look at all. electrical work.

' Our invention solves the aforementioned problems in satisfactory manner by provision of a sectional baseboard heater comprising a wire-way section which may be initially installed to contain the electrical poi-tion of the installation, and by provision of a separate section which includes the electric heating means and which is subsequently installed in complementary manner with the wire-way section.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there are shown, for purposes of illustration, several embodiments which our invention may assume, and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an enclosure showing an embodiment of our invention in various steps of assembly,

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the wire-way section With-the channel cover removed.

Figure- 3 is anenlargedtransverse sectional view of the separate section which includes the electric heating means,

2,954,456 Patented Sept. 27, 1960 Figure 4 shows the sections of Figures 2 and 3 in as- 'se'nibled relation to form the baseboard heater,

Figures 5, "6 "and 7 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views disclosing various manners in which the wire-way section and separate section may be brought together,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an electrical connection to a source of electrical energy,

Figure 9 is a broken front View of a baseboard heater illustrating another embodiment of our invention, certain front parts being omitted to show interior construction,

Figure 10 is a broken diagrammatic representation of an enclosure illustrating the embodiment of Figure 9 installed, I

Figures 11, 12 and 13 are vertical sectional views corres onding g nerally to the respective lines 1111, 12'-12 and -13--13 of Figure 9,

Figure 14 is a fragmentar exploded perspective view of parts of the embodiment of Figure 9, and

Figures 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D are perspective views of certain parts of the embodiment of Figure 9.

Referring particularly to the construction disclosed in Figures 1 through 4, the embodiment of the invention therein disclosed comprises a wire-way section 10 and a separte section 11 which includes electrical heating means.

The wire-way section 10 is adapted for prior installation along the baseboard area of an enclosure E and preferably compiises an elongated channel member, usiially forrhed of sheet-metal although any other suitable material maybe er'iiploye'd. The channel member preferably forms the 1o'wer portion of the baseboard heater assembly and is therefore secured adjacent to the floor of the enclosure. All of the electric wiring may be accomplished with ease through the upwardly facing openin of the channel and such wiring is readily discei'nable and available for inspection. Thereafter, a cover or closure member is applied to close off normal access to the interior of the channel member.

As best seen in Figure 2, the wire-way section 10 in the present embodiment is preferably a rolled section of sheet-metal of a predetermined length to form the channel member above referred to. Desirably, although not necessarily, the channel member is of generally right angle cross-section to provide an upright leg 12 adapted to be" secured by fastening means 14, such as screws and the like, to the lower portion of the vertical wall W of the enclosure. The horizontal leg 15 may be disposed against the floor F of the enclosure and may be secured to the floor by suitable fastening means 16.

To meet some code requirements, one or both of the legs 12 and 15 may be spaced from the enclosure surfaces by suitable spacers, not shown. Each of the legs may have a longitudinally extending rib 17, or other location-defining mark, to establish a longitudinal guide for locating the fastening means in a direction transversely of the respective legs. Fastening means 14 may be driven through, or passed through openings in, the ribs 17 at suitable spaced apart intervals longitudinally of, such ribs. It is here pointed out that the rib 17 is spaced some dist-ance downwardly from the upper end of the upright leg 12 so that the fastening means 14 therethrough will notprevent a slight flexing of the upper portion of the leg 12 in a direction away from the wall W.

As best seen in Figure 2, the channel member is applied to the baseboard area with the opening therein facing outwardly and upwardly so that electrical wiring in the channel member may be easily performed. A cover member 18 is provided for closing the opening into the channel after the wiring has been performed and suit ably connected to the channel member so that subsequent inspection or repairs may be easily made.

In the presently disclosed embodiment, the cover memmember 18 may be a strip of sheet metal securable to the channel member in any suitable manner. As presently preferred, the terminal portions of the legs 12 and 15 are turned inwardly of the channel to form longitudinally extending hook-shaped lips 19. The width of the cover member 18 is preferably slightly greater than the rectilinear distance between facing inner surfaces of the lips 19. To complete assembly of the wire-way 10, the cover member 19 is bulged transversely so that its longitudinal margins clear the lips 19. Removal of the bulging pressure from the cover member 19 will permit it to spring back toward unbulged condition, whereupon the longitudinal margins of the cover member bear with some pressure against the inner surface of respective lips 19 to form a substantially dirt-tight connection.

As before mentioned, the electrical conductors or wires C are disposed within the channel and all electrical connections may be made to an outlet box 20 (see Figure 8) which in turn receives energy from line wires 21 leading to a suitable source of current supply. Suitable splices may be made with the wires C to provide conductors which are connectable to the terminals of the heating means. The ends of the spliced wires each may have one part of a quick detachable connector, such as that commercially produced by Ark-Les Switch Corporation. The electrical wiring is fully exposed in the condition of parts shown in Figure 2 and may be held available for inspection.

At the time the wiring is completed, it may not be convenient for an inspection tobe made but this need not hold up work required to complete the enclosure since subsequent assembly of cover member 18 and separate section 11 will in no manner be impaired. For example,

it may be decided that the room is to be painted or papered while waiting for wiring inspection and this may be accomplished during the waiting period. As a matter of fact, it is preferable to paint or otherwise cover the wall W prior to the time the separate section 11 is assembled so that little care need be exercised to prevent the unwanted covering of heater exterior surfaces. After the wiring inspection is completed, the cover may be snapped into its position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 and the wall W covered or painted, if this has not been previously done.

The separate section 11 comprises a formed elongated sheet-metal back channel 22 of any suitable cross-sectional shape. In the presently disclosed embodiment the channel 22 has an upper generally horizontally extending wall 23 and a connected vertical wall 24. The vertical wall may have spaced longitudinally extending bulges 25 for strengthening purposes, the lower bulge being preferably spaced from the lower margin of the wall 24 to provide a longitudinal flange 26 which is receivable between the wall W and the upper portion of the leg 12 of the wireway 10, the lower bulge 25 engaging the upper lip 19 to limit insertion of flange 24, as best seen in Figure 4.

The back channel 22 may be assembled with the wireway and its upper part may be secured to the wall W by means of fastening devices 27 which are driven through, or passed through, holes in a longitudinally extending location rib 28 formed in the channel wall 24. It will be appreciated that the relatively great vertical extent of the channel wall 24 will hide any imperfections in the wall covering adjacent to the wire-way 10 and thus provide a professional appearance to the decorating work.

The back channel 22 may be assembled separately with the wire-way 10 and thereafter bafile or deflector means 29, heating means 30 and a front plate 31 may in Figures 3 and 4, the bafile means 29 is formed of a stripof sheet metal having a central planar portion 32 and upper and lower forwardly bent portions 33 and 34.

The heating element may take the form of a strip heater such as disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,614,330, issued to Edwin L. Wiegand, on January 11, 1927. The front plate 31 may be formed of a strip of sheet metal having a central planar portion 35, a rearwardly inclined upper portion 36 and a rolled lower edge 37. Suitable spacer members 38 may extend between the bafile means 29 and heating means 30, and other spacer means 39 may extend between the heating means 30 and the front plate 31, the parts being suitably secured together to maintain correctly spaced assembly. Further spacer members 40 may be secured to baflle means 29 and may have permanent or detachable connection with the back channel 22. The connection, for example, may take the form of lugs 41 and 42 respectively extending from upper and lower portions of the spacer members 40. The lugs 41 and 42 may fit into respective lips 43, 44 which are struck out from the wall 24. The upper lips 43 may be initially straight, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, and there after bent over the lugs 41 to maintain the assembly.

It will be appreciated that the battle means 29, heating means 30 and front plate 31 may be pre-assembled with the back channel 22 to form the complete section 11 which may then be assembled as a unit with wire-way section 10. The fastening means 27 are preferably in the form of screws to permit assembly of the section 11 either as a unit as above referred to, or in components as previously mentioned. Further, screw-type fastening means provide for ready removal of the section 11 from the wire-way section 10, it being only necessary to remove the screws 27 and lift the section 11 from the wire-way. In this manner, redecoration of the wall W may be effected without damage to the back channel 22 or other parts of section 11. Further, the wires C in the wire-way 10 may be checked and/or repaired, such wires being made accessible by removal of the cover member 18. In the particular embodiment disclosed, to remove the cover member, the latter may be bulged inwardly and an implement, such as a screw-driver, may be inserted between a lip 19 and the adjoining margin of the plate 18, to pry the latter from the channel member.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 disclose modifications of the connection between leg 12 of the channel member and flange 26 of the wall 24. In Figure 5, the lip 19 on upright leg 12 (hereinbefore described) is modified to include an upwardly opening channel 45 and the flange 26 is provided with an oif-set portion 46 which slidably fits within the channel. In this case, the upright leg need not be sprung away from the wall W to permit admittance of the flange 26, as before required. In Figure 6, the flange 26 is formed with a rolled lower edge 47 which merely abuts the lip 19 of leg 12. In Figure 7, the upper end of the leg 12 is off-set inwardly of the channel, as shown at 47a to provide a space to receive the flange 26.

In the embodiment disclosed in Figures 9 through 14,

I a baseboard heater is shown wherein all parts are easily be added thereto. The means 29, 30, and plate 31 may I be of any suitable construction and per se form no part of our invention.

assembled, without the use of conventional tools, and wherein the heater may be electrically connected to the conductors ,in the wire-way at the time the separate section, including the heating means, is assembled with the wire-way section.

The wire-way section in the embodiment of Figures 9 through 14 is substantially the same as that hereinbefore described and the same reference numbers will therefore be used for corresponding parts.

The back channel 50, as before, is formed with an upper wall 51 having an inwardly curled terminal margin 52. The top wall is integrally connected with a vertical wall 53 which may, as before and if desired, have a longitudinally extending rib 54 for locating the fastening means. The lower end of the vertical wall 53 is provided with a reverse bend forming a longitudinally extending upwardly inclined lip 55 and the lower marginal portion of the vertical wall 53 as before, fits between the wall W and the upper portion of the wire-way 10.

The baseboard heaters of any of the embodiments disclosed herein are preferably formed in unit lengths for standardization of manufacture. The unit lengths may be disposed in serial relation along the baseboard area of a room, as shown at 56, 56, 56 etc. in Figure 10. Thus, it will be appreciated that conduits 57 may be led to the wire-way of the lead heater assembly and electrically connected to the heating meansthereof, and suitable wiring (shown in. dotted lines at 58) may extend through the subsequent Wire-ways and be electrically connected to subsequent heating means. In this manner, multiple electrical outlets and excessive household wiring are eliminated.

The separate section 11. of each unit heater assembly shown in Figures 9 through 14 comprises, as before, a battle member 59, a strip heater 60 and a front cover 61. The bafile member 59, which may be termed the back baflle to distinguish it from a front baflle 62, is of less longitudinal extent (see Figure 9) than the back channel 50 for a purpose to appear. The cover 61 and front baflie 62 have been omitted from Figure 9 to shoW interior construction. The front cover 61 is preferably about the same length as the back channel 50, whereas the front baflie 62 is preferably about the same length as the back batfie 59.

The back baffle 59 has an intermediate planar portion 63 and upper and lower forwardly inclined portions 64, 65, each of the latter terminating in curled edges 66. The front baffle 62 has an intermediate planar portion 67, a forwardly inclined upper portion 68 and a rearwardly inclined lower portion 69. The front cover 61 has an intermediate planar portion 70, a rearwardly inclined upper portion 71 terminating in a rearwardly curled lip 72, and a lower portion 73 having a rearwardly curled lip 74 which, in effect, forms a spring catch.

One or more brackets 75 are provided for supporting the heating means 60, back and front baffies 59 and 62, and front cover 61 in assembled relation with, the back channel 50. In the case of an eight foot heater unit, four brackets are preferred, one each adjacent to the ends of the back channel and the remaining two preferably equally spaced apart from the first mentioned two.

Each bracket 75 is formed of sheet metal and of channel section, as best seen in Figure 14, to provide a front wall 76 and side walls 77. The upper edges of the side Walls are notched, as seen at 78, to form openings for receiving the intermediate portion 79 of a bracket clip 80. The front wall 76 is curled rearwardly, as at 81, to overlie the portion 79 and restrict its removal from the openings formed by the notches 78.

The bracket clip 80 is preferably formed of a suitable steel wire which is hard drawn and Zinc plated or galvanized. Extending upwardly from opposite ends of the intermediate portion 79 are legs 82-82 which terminate inslightly upwardly angled end portions 83-83 for a purpose to appear.

The lower edges of the bracket side walls 77 are notched to provide a pocket 84 and a rounded tongue 85 in each side wall. The front wall 76 of each bracket 75 is formed with an aperture 86 to pass a spring clip 87 (see particularly Figure 14A) which has an opening 88 formed in each leg. The clips 87 are commonly termed speed nuts and are commercially available. The legs of the clip are resiliently pressed against front and rear portions of the wall 76 and the latter wall is formed with an opening in line with the opening 88 of the clip. A similar clip 87 is engaged over a lower terminal portion of the front -wall 76 and, as before, the wall is formed with an opening in line with the opening 88 of such clip.

Each bracket 75 may be assembled with the back channel 50 by slightly tilting the bracket to fit its tongues 85 in the upwardly opening groove formed by the lip 55 and to fit the lip 55 within the pockets 84. The bracket is then moved to vertical position so that the rear edges of the side walls 77 abut the front wall of the back channel 50. The leg end portions 83 of the bracket clip are then sprung into the curl 52 of top wall 51, as seen in Figure 12, to urge the bracket downwardly and rearwardly and thus establish a rigid but easily removable connection bet-Ween the back channel 50 and each bracket 75.

The back baffle 59 has pairs of vertically spaced openings 90, the pairs being of a number equal to the number of brackets 75 and each pair of openings being formed in the planar intermediate portion 63 of the back baflle and spaced a distance coinciding with the distance between the openings in the two speed nuts 87 carried by the respective brackets 75.

Supporting clips 91 are provided in number equal to the brackets 75, each clip preferably comprising two portions 92, 93 which may be formed of stainless steel wire and secured together, as by welding or the like, to provide the unitary clip 91. Referring particularly to Figure 14B, the portion 92 comprises looped ends 94- 94 to provide openings to pass screws 95. The openings are spaced to coincide with the vertical spacing of the paired apertures -90 of the back baffle 59 and with the spacing of the openings 88 in the spring clips 87 carried by a respective bracket 75, so that the screws 95 may pass through the aligned openings and be threaded into respective spring clips 87 to thereby firmly hold the supporting clips 91, back baflie 59 and brackets 75 in assembled relation.

Inwardly of the looped ends 94-94, the wire portion 92 has right angle bends to form horizontal portions 96-96 and the latter have right angle bends to form vertical portions 97-97. The vertical portions 97-97 are joined by a looped portion 98 for a purpose to appear.

The wire portion 93 comprises diverging legs 99-99, each of which terminates in a right angle bend 100. The legs 99 are connected by a U-shaped portion 101. The parts 96-96 and 97-97 of wire portion 92 complement the U-shaped portion 101 of wire portion 93 to form a rectangular enclosure for freely receiving the transverse dimension of the strip heater 60, whereby the latter may expand and contract without restriction. Thus, in addition to its function of holding brackets 75, and back bafile 59 assembled, the supporting clips 91 also engage with and support the strip heater.

The terminal end of the strip heater carries a terminal channel 102 which, in this instance, comprises a sheet metal member of channel cross-section to provide a front wall 103 and side walls 104105. The strip heater 60 is positioned fiatwise against the front wall of the terminal channel 102 and has its electric terminals 106-106 (see Figure 14D) extending. through an opening 107 in the front wall 103. A pair of vertically spaced tabs 108- 108 are struck out of the front wall 103, each tab being bent over the strip heater as best seen in Figure 14. A tab 109 is struck out of the side wall and a screw 110 passes through an opening in the non-heating end of the strip heater and is threaded into an opening in the tab 109. Thus, the tabs 108-108 and 109 hold the terminal channel firmly assembled with the strip heater end. An apertured tab 111 is struck out of the side wall 104 to pass a screw 112 which is threaded into an aperture 113 in the adjacent endof the back baffle 59.

The front baffle 62 may or may not be used in the assembly, although its use is preferred in high wattage heaters. This front baifle has longitudinally spaced slots 114 in its intermediate planar portion, the slots being spaced to correspond to the spacing of the looped portions 98 of the supporting clips 91, and such clips pass through respective slots. The slots 114 are of a length whereby inward movement of front bafie 62 is limited by abutment thereof with the vertical portions 97-97 of the wire portion 92 to determine correct spacing of the bafiie 62 in electrical connection.

with adjacent parts. Speed nuts 115, of the type shown in Figure 14C, are forced over respective looped portions 98 to hold the front battle against dissassembly. The speed nuts 115 are of a commercially available type and, as shown in Figure 14C, comprise a sheet metal plate of spring stock, the plate having a slot 116 to pass the looped portion 98, and having teeth 117 which bite into defining parts of the loped portion and restrict disasscmbly movement of the nuts 115.

The plurality of supporting clips 91 provide longitudinally spaced pairs of support arms 100, 100 (see Figure 14B), the upper and lower arms of the pairs being in longitudinal alignment. The front cover 61 may be quickly assembled, without tools, by disposing the upper arms 100 within the upper curl 72, and the spring catch formed by the rearwardly curled lip 74 maybe snapped over the lower arms 100.

It will be appreciated that the back channel 50, brackets 75, baflies 59, 62 and front cover 61 may be fully assembled to provide the separate section 11, and this section may then be assembled as a unit with the wireway section 10. On the other hand, it is also possible to first assemble the back channel 50 with the wireway 10 and thereafter connect the brackets 75, baffles 59 and 62 and front cover 61 to the back channel. With the exception of an implement for turning the back channel fastening screws, the screws 95 and 112, which implement need not necessarily be a conventional screw driver but may be a coin or the like, no tools are necessary to assemble or dissassemble the heater. In some instances, both back and front baffles 59 and 62 may be omitted, in which case the supporting clips 91 are secured directly to the respective brackets 75. It will be appreciated that the strip heater 60 and front cover 61 will be properly supported as before.

Out invention also contemplates electrical connection of the heater with the source of energy at the time the separate section 11 is assembled with the wireway section 10.

Referring particularly to Figures 13 and MD of the drawings, a pair of angle brackets 120-120 are secured to respective walls 104105 of the terminal channel 102, the brackets facing inwardly of the channel and a dielectric plate 121 is secured across facing legs of the brackets. A single rivet 121a may connect each bracket 120 to the respective channel side to provide a swing mount for the plate 121 for adjustment purposes.

Two current conducting straps 122-J22 are carried by the plate 121 and extend downwardly therefrom, as best seen in Figure 14D. Conductors 123-123 efiFect electrical connection between the electric terminals 106 of the strip heater 60 and respective spring straps 122.

A dielectric terminal block 124 is secured by screws or the like within an end of the channel member of the wireway, the cover 18 terminating short of this end to expose the block. The terminal black 124 has vertical slots 125125, each slot receiving a contact finger 126. Screws 127 may connect the bared ends of current con ductors C to respective fingers 126. The upper end of the finger 126 is curled outward slightly to form a pass through which the straps may be extended.

As the separate section 11 is moved toward assembly with the wireway section 10, the straps 122122 may be aligned with respective slots 125-125 and downward movement of the separate section 11 will dispose the straps 122 behind respective contact fingers 126 for plug- It will be noted that the front wall of the terminal channel 102 is extended downwardly and inclined forwardly as at 128 to cover the wireway channel at the place exposed by termination of the cover 18, the lower end of the extension 128 fitting into the curl of the wireway channel.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that we have accomplished at least the principal object of our invention, and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described, hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only, and that our invention is not limited therteo.

We claim:

=1. A baseboard heater assembly, comprising an elongated sheet-metal back member having a vertical wall securable to the wall of an enclosure and a top wall extending laterally of said vertical wall and terminating in a rearwardly and downwardly curled lip, said vertical wall having a longitudinally extending upwardly inclined rib extending in the same lateral direction and spaced from said top wall, heating means, bracket means of sheet-metal channel formation and having integral tab members bent over said heating means to connect the latter to said bracket means, said bracket means being adapted for upright application to said back member with terminal margins of the channel legs abutting a wall surface of said vertical wall, the lower end of said channel legs being notched to receive said rib, and connecting means secured to the upper end of said bracket means having a portion fitting within said downwardly curled lip.

2. A baseboard heater assembly, comprising a first elongated baffle member, an elongated electric strip heater, a second elongated baflie member, and a connector for connecting said first and second bafile members in laterally spaced assembled relation, said connector means comprising a loop portion circumscribing a transverse portion of said strip heater, legs connectable to said first bafiie member, and a portion projecting through an opening in said second baflie member and secured to the latter.

3. A baseboard heater assembly, comprising a first elongated baffle member, an elongated electric strip heater, a second elongated baflie member and an elongated front cover member transversely spaced in the above order, and a connector for connecting and holding the foregoing in spaced relation, said connector being formed of wire and comprising a loop portion circumscribing a transverse portion of said strip heater, legs connectable to said first baffie member, a portion projecting through an opening in said second baffle member, and legs detachably connected to said cover member.

4. A baseboard heater assembly, comprising an elongated sheet-metal back member having a vertical wall securable to the wall of an enclosure and a top wall extending laterally of said vertical wall and terminating in a rearwardly and downwardly curled lip, said vertical wall having a longitudinally extending upwardly inclined rib extending in the same lateral direction and spaced from said top wall, bracket means of sheet-metal channel formation for upright application to said back member with terminal margins of the channel legs abutting a wall surface of said vertical wall, the lower end of saidchannel legs being notched to receive said rib, connecting means secured to the upper end of said bracket means and having a portion fitting within said downwardly curled lip, and the following carried by said bracket means in transversely spaced order, said following comprising a first elongated bafiie member, an elongated electric strip heater, a second elongated bafiie member, an elongated front cover member, and a connector for connecting said following together in spaced relation and for connecting the same to said bracket means, said connector member comprising a loop portion circumscribing a transverse portion of said strip heater, apertured legs for passing screws which connect such legs and said first baffle member to said bracket means, a portion projecting through an opening in said second baffie member and secured to the latter, and legs detachably connected to said cover member.

5. A sectional baseboard heater assembly, comprisingawire-way section adapted for prior installation along the baseboard area of an enclosure and including a sheetmetal channel member having an upright longitudinal wall securable to the vertical wall of said enclosure and also including a cover member for closing normal access to the interior of said channel member, and said assembly also comprising a separate section adapted for subsequent installation along said baseboard area in complementary manner with said wire-way section, said separate section comprising an elongated sheet'metal back member having a vertical wall securable to said vertical enclosure wall and a top wall extending laterally of said member vertical wall and terminating in a rearwardly and downwardly curled lip, said member vertical wall having a longitudinally extending upwardly inclined rib extending in the same lateral direction and spaced from said top wall, bracket means of sheet-metal channel formation for upright application to said back member with terminal margins of the channel legs abutting a wall surface of said member vertical wall, the lower end of said channel legs being notched to receive said rib, connecting means secured to the upper end of said bracket means and having a portion fitting within said downwardly curled lip, and the following carried by said bracket means in transversely spaced order, said following comprising a first elongated sheet-metal baffle, an elongated electric strip heater, a second elongated sheet-metal bafile member and an elongated sheet metal front cover member having rearwardly curled upper and lower longitudinal margins, and a connector for connecting said following together in spaced relation and for connecting the same to said bracket means, said connector member being formed of wire and comprising a loop portion circumscribing a transverse portion of said strip heater, apertured legs for passing screws which connect such legs and said first baffie member to said bracket means and in position to define an air passage with said channel cover member, said connector having a portion projecting through an opening in said second baffle member and secured to the latter, and said connector having legs detachable fitting within the rearwardly curled margins of said front cover member.

6. A baseboard heater assembly, comprising an elongated sheet-metal back member, bracket means of channel formation connected to said back member, a strip heater and a front cover member, and a connector for connecting said bracket means, strip heater and front cover, said connector means having spaced portions con nected to said bracket means, a looped portion circumscribing a transverse portion of said strip heater, and leg portions connected to said front cover.

7. A sectional baseboard-type heater for assembly along the baseboard area of a room, comprising an elongated hollow body forming a wire-way section which provides the lower part of the heater assembly and which has defining walls adjoining the floor and adjacent wall portion of the room, said wire-way section being adapted for prior installation along said room baseboard area so that room wall decoration may be made close to the upper side of said hollow body, and a separate elongated section which provides the upper portion of the heater assembly and is adapted for installation subsequent to the installation of said wire-way section, said separate section comprising a vertical wall coextensive with at least a part of said hollow body, the lower end of said vertical wall being disposed adjacent to said upper side or" said body and said vertical wall being secured flatwise against said room Wall to hide any imperfections in room wall decoration adjacent to said hollow body, said vertical wall having an upper end extending transversely therefrom in the direction interiorly of said room to provide a top surface for said baseboard heater assembly.

8. The construction according to claim 7 wherein said separate section carries an electric heating element.

9. The construction according to claim 8 wherein said separate sectione-arries baffle means.

10. A sectional baseboard-type heater for assembly along the baseboard area of a room, comprising an elongated hollow body forming a wire-way section which provides the lower part of the heater assembly and which has an upright defining wall adjoining the wall of the room and a horizontal defining wall adjoining the floor of said room, said wire-way section being adapted for prior installation along said room baseboard area, and a separate elongated section which provides the upper portion of the heater assembly and is adapted for installation subsequent to the installation of said wireway section, said separate section comprising a vertical wall coextensive with at least a part of said hollow body, the lower end of said vertical wall being insert-able and thereafter fitting between said upright defining wall and the adjoining portion of said room wall, the upper end of said vertical wall extending transversely and inwardly of said room to provide a top surface for said baseboard assembly.

11. The construction according to claim 10 and including abutment means carried by said vertical wall and engaging with said hollow body to limit the amount said vertical wall lower end may be inserted between said upright defining wall and said room wall.

baseboard-type electric heater for assembly along the baseboard area of 'a room, said heater being divided longitudinally into lower end upper horizontally extending sections, each complete in itself with the lower section installable along the room baseboard area prior to the upper section, said lower section being hollow and providing a longitudinally extending wire-way channel closed by a longitudinally extending cover, and said upper section comprising an inverted L-shaped sheetmetal member providing a vertical wall secured fiatwise against the adjoining room wall, the lower end of said vertical wall being positioned adjoining the upper end of said lower section, and said sheet-metal member providing a top wall extending transversely from said vertical wall in a direction inwardly of said room, said vertical wall carrying electric heating means from its outwardly direct-ed surface.

13. A sectional baseboard-type heater for assembly along the baseboard section of a room, comprising an elongated hOllO'W body forming a wire-way section which provides the lower portion of the heater assembly, said body being formed of sheet-metal and of triangular crosssection, the leg walls of said body being respectively directed closely against the floor and adjacent wall portion of the roomand the hypotenuse wall of the body being removably connected to the leg walls to provide an inclined removable cover for access to the interior of the wire-way section, and an elongated separate section which prov des the upper portion of the heater assembly and is adapted for installation subsequent to the installation of said wire-way section, said separate section comprising a sheet-metal vertical wall secured fiatwise against said adjacent wall portion of said room, the lower end of said vertical wall fitting against the upper portion of said wire-way section and the upper end of said vertical wall extending transversely therefrom in the direction interiorly of said room to provide a top surface for said baseboard heater assembly, said separate section carrying an electric heating element and battle means, the latter means having a wall portion disposed adjacent to said hypotenuse wall to cons-titute therewith an upwardly directed air flow channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,533,845 Forbes Apr. 14, 1925 (References on following page) 11 UNITED STATES PATENTS Gerspacher et a1. May '18, 1948 Grothouse Mar. 28, 1950 Tidd Oct. 2, 1951 Wilcox Oct. 20, 1953 Borg et al. Jan. 17, 1956 Carter Ian. 31, 1956 12 Hicks July 16, 1957 Calhoun Aug. 11, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Norway June 15, 1943 Great Britain Dec. 7, 1934 

